Ever notice that when you listen to New York radio the rotation of rappers you’re listening to hasn’t changed since the year 2002? The airwaves are still dominated by Jay-Z, Nas, Diddy, 50 Cent, Dip Set, and Fat Joe, just to name a few. Meanwhile, the Big Apple is stuck in a rut of monotony, and most New Yorkers are convinced that the game isn’t what it used to be. But maybe the game isn’t the issue at all – perhaps it’s the players. It’s time for some new blood. Time for the emergence of fresh talent to identify with a new era of hip-hop fans. It’s time for Maino. Having used the mixtape circuit to cull a strong following, Brooklyn, NY native Maino is no longer his borough’s best-kept secret. The swagger-rich MC is now in a position to present a brand new look to hip-hop with his debut Atlantic album, If Tomorrow Comes… “I don’t want to say let’s bring New York back, but let’s bring New York forward,” he says. “And the only way to bring it forward is to breathe new life into it. That’s how you keep hip-hop alive, you give birth to the new. I want to be the one bringing that new life.”